FSNE 2010 Journalism Awards

June 18, 2010

Dear Florida journalists:

FSNE is honored to salute this year's contest winners. The entries demonstrate a great year for journalism in the state. The judges were unanimous in their praise for your work and for the exceptional level of journalism produced by Florida news organizations.

We are particularly pleased with the strength of the entries this year in view of dramatic changes and cutbacks in the industry. Watchdog journalism, the highest ideal of our profession, remains strong at newspapers across each circulation division and in the Spanish-language division. The competition in all categories of the contest remains fierce, reflecting the dedication our members bring to their papers every day in the drive for readers.

Congratulations to all our winners.

Contest chair:
Cory Lancaster, Daytona Beach News-Journal

FSNE President:
Rick Hirsch, The Miami Herald

Below is the list of award winners in the
2010 Florida Society of News Editors'
Journalism Competition.

The awards were presented Friday, June 18, at the
annual FSNE/FPA convention in Sarasota.

The Paul Hansell Award

for Distinguished Achievement in Florida Journalism:

The Paul Hansell Award

Donna Koehn

The Tampa Tribune

Donna Koehn writes and reports engagingly on a wide range of topics, but one theme runs through all her work – respect, empathy and appreciation for people of all kinds. That doesn't just make her stories interesting – it rewards her readers.

Division A

The St. Petersburg Times reporting on the Church of Scientology is in the finest traditions of American journalism. The reporting by Joseph Childs and Thomas Tobin stands out for the ways in which it held accountable the powerful.

1. Daily Deadline

A terrific example of how to throw reporting muscle at a big breaking story to provide up-to-the minute web coverage and a next-day print package that is gripping and thorough. The main tick-tock was full of detail and eyewitness accounts. It’s artful crafting set the tone for this energetic and meaty package.

4. Explanatory Reporting

a thorough, comprehensive and in-depth examination of police-related shootings in Jacksonville, an issue that has had a huge impact on the African American community there. We liked the effective use of graphics and the inclusion of voices from diverse experiences.

Second Place

Erika Hobbs

Orlando Sentinel

School Desegregation

Third Place

Rita Farlow, Michael Moscardini

St. Petersburg Times

The Golden Hour

5. Beat Reporting

Sedensky does a great job finding stories that matter. His clips show a reporter who can simplify important and complex issues by putting a human face on them and focusing on the impact of policies and practices on average people.

Second Place

Kevin Spear

Orlando Sentinel

Environmental Reporting

Third Place

Matt Galnor

Florida Times-Union

City Hall coverage

6. Sports

The “Tebow as Superman” story sets Carlos Frias apart from the rest. He takes the end of the game, which anyone saw or could have seen, and, and with disciplined observation and a sharp eye for detail and movement, he transforms Tebow's experience into something powerful.

8. Columns

Troxler’s columns are sharp and colorful and always a joy to read. The pieces are well thought out and persuasive. While remaining intellectually honest, he’s always willing to state his position and take a side. He doesn’t pull punches.

11. Page One Design

The variety of approaches to these pages shows how versatile this designer is. From the poster front (Obama inauguration) to the illustrative front page packed with info ("Greetings from Florida"), there are a range of design solutions to different types of content challenges. Overall, the pages are clean, well-organized and easy to navigate.

16. Spot News Photography

Not only was the photographer able to be at the right place at the right time to capture the moment, but the judges were impressed by the alignment of the elements to make a really well composed photograph.

19. Photo Story

This first place picture story combines a powerful set of images and captions to help the viewer not only understand but also feel the impact of years of neglect and abuse suffered by the former residents of the Florida School for the Boys. Great light. Strong package.

Division B

Examining a decade's worth of Florida real estate sales, the reporters uncovered fraud on an almost unimaginable scale: $10 billion in suspicious transactions. This powerful and crisply written investigative series revealed a hidden reason behind the Florida real estate crash and brought a swift response from state and federal officials -- a testimony to the reporters' remarkable work.

1. Daily Deadline

The package, which spanned the A-section, editorial page, op-ed pages to the sports front, gave readers a great sense of T.K. Wetherell's contributions to Florida State and the huge legacy he leaves after just six years.

Second Place

Staff

Ocala Star-Banner

Mortgage Giant Collapses

Third Place

Staff

Florida Today

Gator's Meyer Steps Aside

2. Features & Arts Writing

Walter took a subject that many newspapers are loathe to write about -- child sexual abuse -- and crafted a richly detailed and searing narrative that fully justifies the trust her two young subjects and their mothers placed in her. With persistent but sensitve reporting, the reader comes to feel the victims' shame, anger and, finally, self-empowerment from speaking openly about what happened.

Second Place

Jonathan Foerster

Naples Daily News

Resurrection of Amalia Mendoza

Third Place

Billy Cox

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Collection

3. Investigative Reporting

Examining a decade's worth of Florida real estate sales, the reporters uncovered fraud on an almost unimaginable scale: $10 billion in suspicious transactions. This powerful and crisply written investigative series revealed a hidden reason behind the Florida real estate crash and brought a swift response from state and federal officials -- a testimony to the reporters' remarkable work.

5. Beat Reporting

Halvorson distinguished himself in a competitive category through dogged reporting. His mix of sourcing and adeptness with documents allowed him to shine light on a complex topic of local and national importance.

7. Business

In her series of stories revealing the manipulative practices of one Florida insurance company and the allegedly illegal origins of another, St. John sheds light on a poorly understood industry performing an important service to Florida consumers.

10. Editorials

The Tallahassee Democrat was tireless in writing about insurance issues facing Floridians. Throughout the year, the paper provided well reasoned editorials that ultimately benefited consumers by calling for more alternatives in the insurance market.

16. Spot News Photography

The evacuation of elementary students on a school bus as brush fires threaten the school in Stuart took the first place honor for the way it layers the information to give a real sense of the urgency at the scene.

19. Photo Story

The photographer has covered all the bases to get across rodeo culture in this set of images. Use of relevant detail shots, different angles and tightly framed action pics convey the flavor of this particular event.

11. Page One Design

12. Feature Page Design

Diagonal headlines, textured background and an intense photo played large captures that movie-poster feel and speaks to the content of this story. The page, overall, is more of a magazine approach, which is refreshing.